A 2.61-acre site is home to the $10 million facility center.

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Avery Boyd, 25, huddles herself with a blanket at the newly opened Hope for Home, a year-round homeless services center in Pomona on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

After spending the last six weeks in a cot at the Pomona Armory, he was among 110 homeless men and woman who moved Wednesday morning into Hope for Home, a year-round homeless services center.

“You felt like sardines in a can, and here we’re spread out, and we’ve got real beds — no cots. You’ve got somewhere to sleep,” the 62-year-old said. “The first thing I thought was it smelled like a new car.”

Sister Therese Parobek wraps a blanket around Avery Boyd, 25, after providing her with a set of new clothes and a new beanie at the newly opened Hope for Home, a year-round homeless services center in Pomona on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Christine Benavidez, 55, gets her adjusted by friend Adriana Alvarez, 28, as they get situated at the newly opened Hope for Home, a year-round homeless services center in Pomona on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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Tania Zermeno, 27, takes the opportunity to bush her teeth after receiving a new toothbrush in her care pacakge at newly opened Hope for Home, a year-round homeless services center in Pomona on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Christine Benavidez, left, interacts with friend, Alex Lopez, as they get situated at the newly opened Hope for Home, a year-round homeless services center in Pomona on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

A man takes a rest on his bed at the newly opened Hope for Home, a year-round homeless services center in Pomona on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Gabriel Luna gets cozy on his bed at the newly opened Hope for Home, a year-round homeless services center in Pomona on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Avery Boyd, 25, huddles herself with a blanket at the newly opened Hope for Home, a year-round homeless services center in Pomona on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

People carry their belongings as they arrived to the newly opened Hope for Home, a year-round homeless services center in Pomona on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Sister Therese Parobek, right, distributes food as people arrived to the newly opened Hope for Home, a year-round homeless services center in Pomona on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Bobina Black, 68, gets cozy on her bed at the newly opened Hope for Home, a year-round homeless services center in Pomona on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

People gets situated with their bed at the newly opened Hope for Home, a year-round homeless services center in Pomona on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Shelter coordinator Rachel Tate gives a tour of the construction of the restrooms and showers building at the newly opened Hope for Home, a year-round homeless services center in Pomona on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Additional constructions is underway at the Hope for Home center in Pomona on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

The first phase of the $10 million, newly opened 16,000-square-foot, tent-like structure has heating and air conditioning systems and can accommodate more than 200 adults — although it’s not entirely complete.

A couple of hundred feet away from the fabric structure, crews Wednesday were working on finishing the restrooms, showers, laundry facilities and office space for program operations. Benita DeFrank, Neighborhood Services director for Pomona, said those facilities should be done this month.

None of that mattered to Davis, who was happy with the new facility — the first in East San Gabriel Valley. He sold the Los Angeles home he lived in after his father died in 2016. He had spent 10 years serving as his father’s caretaker and had a hard time finding employment after his father’s death.

Using money from the proceeds of the house, he stayed in Airbnb rentals until he couldn’t afford it anymore. He was homeless, he said.

“This is the foundation to improve my situation,” he said.

One last visit to the Armory

Reggie Clark, program manager for Volunteers of America Los Angeles, which has operated the winter shelter at the Armory for the past couple of years, is now the site operator of the city’s 2.61-acre site. The goal, he said, is to continue to work with these individuals, get them assigned to case managers and ultimately permanent housing.

Clark walked up to the Pomona Armory shortly after 6:30 a.m. Wednesday and greeted what he calls his family with a simple question: “Y’all ready?” The Armory, because of size limitations, could only hold 110 cots, he said.

Two hours later, it was nearly empty, except for several piles of stacked cots, as staff hurriedly tidied.

“I’m excited and even though we’re going to a place that’s not totally ready, it’s ready. We can start the process of reaching the goal, which is housing,” Clark said prior to the move. “What a wonderful day.”

The tight deadline was set by the Armory: Pomona was to have vacated by Saturday, Dec. 1. The city and Volunteers of America got an extension until Friday while the final touches on the fabric structure were completed.

It wasn’t until 8 p.m. Tuesday that Clark said he learned he had received the temporary occupancy permit to start the move.

Clark couldn’t get buses by the next morning to transport the group, so instead he relied on a caravan to take people from 600 S. Park Ave. to the 1400 E. Mission Blvd., 1 1/2 miles away.

“Everybody is chipping in, all hands on deck,” Clark said.

With temperatures hovering in the low 50s and intermittent rainfall, those waiting to be transported filed in two lines inside the Armory.

“This is hard,” an emotional Sandoval said. “I’m thankful, and I just want to see these people get their lives back. And this is a step.”

The goal in the region needs to be to put an end to homelessness, he said, and one solution is to ensure there’s permanent supportive housing.

Sandoval said he’s working on a proposal to discuss with the council to amend the city’s Corridor Specific Plan to include an affordable housing component for any development in that area. It would offer incentives to developers to set aside a few units for affordable housing when building market-rate homes.

‘One-stop shop’

Shortly after 9 a.m. most people had made their way to the services center and were sitting in folding chairs, waiting for their bed assignments.

“We’re looking at a one-stop shop,” said Clark, standing among a row of yet-to-be occupied bunk beds. “This is to make sure we’re working with people’s barriers which is why we’ve partnered with Tri-City, and East Valley, who will operate a health clinic.”

Inside the white tent shelter, under the bright lights, beds and cots are separated by sex, with the men on the north end and the women on the south. There are 100 crisis beds. Tri-City Mental Health Center has funded 28 beds, and the Pomona Police Department has funded 10 beds. There are also the 110 cots from the winter shelter program, funded by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

The winter shelter opened Dec. 1 and runs through March 31. After that, Volunteers of America is not obligated to provides those cots. The idea is that those who are in the crisis housing program will have moved onto transitional or permanent living situations and make available beds for those who were staying under the winter program, Clark said.

With the deadline to leave the Armory looming, Pomona brought in temporary restrooms and showers, a short walk from the fabric structure, until the permanent facilities are ready. Clark said they will also be installing dividers between the bunk beds to create more personal space. They will also be adding small individual lockers and shelves between the beds, he said

“The size of it is what made me excited. I know what we can do with this size, and that’s make people comfortable,” he said.

The second phase, which should be completed next year, will include bike racks, a kitchen, benches and tables, which will be under a shade structure. It will also include an on-site clinic to provide mental and behavioral health services.

The 400 lockers at the Armory will be moved to the new site. Ultimately, there will be 585 lockers for individuals who visit the day-use area but do not want to stay in the shelter, DeFrank said.

She noted that three different bodies of elected officials have been behind the concept that is now becoming reality.

“This was just a thought in 2016, and to go through the planning part, and then we see the actual tangible results of the community’s effort to do something spectacular when you think about it,” said DeFrank, who was overcome with emotion. “It’s something to be proud of.”

A few moments later, Christine Benavidez, 55, sprawled stomach down on her bed with a big smile on her face. She’s been at the Armory since April 22, after leaving her apartment a year ago in Montclair. Benavidez stayed with friends and family for a couple of months until she found herself on the streets.

“It was dreary over there, but compared to a sidewalk floor, it was heaven,” she said, referring to the Armory. Now she was admiring her own bed and pillow, a luxury she didn’t have with the cots. Benavidez said she’s grateful the shelter is not only cozy, but clean and comfortable.

“It feels like everything has fallen into place,” she said. “I love that we have a time line because it lights a fire and motivates you.”

She’s training to become a school bus driver, and going to Mt. SAC to improve her computer skills. Benavidez is hopeful she can find permanent housing once she has a job.

Meanwhile, oOn the north side, 60-year-old Alex Lopez – one of the first men to get his assigned bed – was folding blankets and clothes. He had already settled in; a suitcase, backpack and a stack of hats were tucked under his bed.

Liset Márquez covers the cities of Pomona, Claremont, La Verne and San Dimas for the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. A beat reporter for the Bulletin since 2006, she previously wrote for the Chattanooga Times Free Press. She keeps a watchful eye on city councils and the Dodgers.